


Five People Who Showed Up Unannounced on Roy Harper's Doorstep (And one he was expecting)

by Wonderlandleighleigh



Category: DCU - Comicverse
Genre: Gen, Post Rehab
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-17
Updated: 2013-03-17
Packaged: 2017-12-05 14:34:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,266
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/724384
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wonderlandleighleigh/pseuds/Wonderlandleighleigh
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Roy Harper, clean for one year and counting and not really heroing it up anymore, can’t seem to leave it all behind. Not that he minds most days.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Five People Who Showed Up Unannounced on Roy Harper's Doorstep (And one he was expecting)

1.  
The knock is rapid; lightening fast, and Roy recognizes it instantly. He sets down the Checkmate case files he's been buried under for the last week and stumbles toward the door. 

It's been a long day. Lian is just getting over the flu, and his new employers are really keen on him getting shit done, and he hasn't had much time to think about the various messes in his life, which is a really, really good thing. 

He swings the door to their tiny apartment open and leans against the door jam.

"Flasher." 

Wally West slumps. He looks frazzled and out of breath and a little terrified. "You don't look surprised." 

"You've had the same knock since before we met," Roy shrugs. "Why should I be?" 

"Right." 

The two red-haired men stare at each other for a long, long moment. 

"Lindaispregnantandit'sgonnabetwinsTWINS!twinsandnobodyelsereallygetsitbecausenobodyelsehasactuallybotheredtohavekidsoftheirowntheyjustfindtheminalleysstealingtheirrimsorinNativeAmericanreservationsorwhateverandyou'retheonlypersonIknowwhoactuallywentthroughtheshockof'ohmygodI'madad'and-"

Roy holds up a hand to stop him. "Whoa. Whoa. Did you say twins?" 

Wally nods.

"Inside. This is gonna require beer."

2.  
He walks out of the house and locks the door, all set to pick Lian up for kindergarten. He tosses his keys into the air and turns, nearly running into the shorter, leaner raven-haired man.

"GAH! Dick!" 

Roy has no idea how long Dick's been standing there, but there he is. 

"Hi." 

"Hi," Roy replies, his voice cracking a little. "What the hell?" 

"I just came to see how you were." 

"Uh-huh. Good. How long have you been standing there waiting to give me a heart attack?" 

Dick grins. "Twenty minutes." 

"I hate you." 

"I know. How are you?" 

"Aside for the near heart attack?" Roy asks. "Good. Great. Fine. Going to pick Lian up from kindergarten."

Dick nods. "I talked to Ollie. He seemed worried about you." 

Roy blinks. "Sure." 

Dick frowns. 

Roy sighs heavily. "One, why are you talking to Ollie? Two, I don't know why he's worried about me, or how he even knows to be worried about me because we haven't spoken in months, and three, shouldn't I be worried about you? You're the one who just called off his engagement." 

Dick follows him down the street as he starts walking toward Lian's school. "I ran into Ollie on a case, and he's worried because you haven't spoken to him in months." 

"That's business as usual for us," Roy reminds his friend. "Come on, Shortpants. You know he and I don't actually get along very well, since..." 

"Since he kicked you out for the heroin," Dick finishes. "Yeah, I know. But...he said he just had this feeling like you needed help or something, and you and I haven't spoken in a while and I just-" 

"Feel sad that your engagement is off," Roy says. 

Dick stays quiet for a long moment, and Roy pats his shoulder. 

"You wanna stay for a few days?" Roy asks. "Lian's gonna be her in school play. It's about gardens. She's gonna be a carrot." 

Dick can't help smiling. "Yeah. Okay." 

3.  
The knock is faint, like it's hurting whoever is on the other side of the door to actually wrap their knuckles against the cheap wood. 

Roy frowns deeply as he heads for the door. It's very, very late, and while he's a night owl, he usually doesn't get visitors now. 

He peeks out the door and his eyes widen. 

On the other side, stands the Black Canary, looking like she went five rounds with a meat grinder. 

"Whoa." He swings the door open completely and Dinah stumbles forward and into his arms. "Dinah. Dinah, what happened?" 

She swallows. "Shiva..." 

Roy tenses and looks around. "Were you followed?" 

Dinah shakes her head against his arm. "She's not in good shape either...your place was closest." 

Roy hoists her into his arms and carries her toward the couch. "You are so lucky that my first aid skills are awesome." 

Dinah grins a little before passing out. "Uh-huh..." 

Roy rubs his face and dashes for his medical supplies. 

4.  
It's very clear upon opening the door that Hal is very, very drunk. 

"ROY!" 

"Oh god." 

"Roy. It's...Roy." 

"Yeah, Hal." 

"It's so good to see you!" 

Roy nods slowly. "Yep. Yeah. Good to see you too, Pal. Whacha doin' here?" 

"I was in the neighborhood." 

"Uh-huh." 

"And I just..." 

Roy is so glad that Lian is having dinner at a friend's house. 

"I just...I'm so sorry, Roy." 

Roy blinks rapidly. "Uh..." 

"I should have...when Ollie threw you out...and we never should have left you all alone when we took that road trip," Hal tells him, his words slurring. "We never should have been gone so long..." 

"Water under the bridge, Hal," Roy tells him. "It's been a few years. I'm good. Really. We're good." 

"Are we? Because...Because you and I we...we don't talk anymore." 

Roy does his best to grin. "Well, you know, I'm kind of out of the hero business, and you're off-planet a lot, so-" 

"We should...we should talk more," Hal tells him. "You and I we...we used to be..." 

"Yeah," Roy says softly. "Come on. Lemme get you some coffee. You can sober up on my couch." 

"But-" 

Roy puts a hand on Hal's neck, the way Hal used to do to him when he was much younger, and leads him inside. 

5.  
Sometimes you open the door and get kissed. 

He doesn't really kiss back, but he doesn't really stop her, either. His eyes just get very, very wide.

"What's wrong, lover? Aren't you happy to see me?" Jade asks. 

"Yes. And No. Mostly...mostly no," Roy admits. "Is this a booty call?" 

Jade quirks an eyebrow. 

"Because if this is a booty call, our daughter is in the living room, practicing writing her name, and it's just not...it's not a good time." 

Jade nods slowly. "How is my daughter?" 

"She's good! She knows all sorts of songs now and colors and shapes," Roy tells her. "She does a little dance every time she eats ice cream." 

"I thought she would be at school now," Jade admits quietly. 

Roy grins sadly. "It's Saturday, Jade." 

"Yes. Of course. I should...I should go..." 

"Jade..."

"Bye, Harper." 

He watches her go and sighs heavily, rubbing at his eye, before closing the door. 

Lian is standing behind him. He can hear her shuffling. "Daddy, who was that?" 

"Nobody, kiddo. Nobody. How do you feel about chicken fingers for dinner?" 

And 1 he was expecting...

He dashes for the door and slides in his socks, swinging it open. He smiles. "Wonder babe!" 

Donna laughs, holding a large bag of Chinese food. "Hi! Did you nearly slam into the closed door." 

"I'll never tell," he replies, stepping aside to let her in, and she kisses his cheek affectionately. 

"How are you?" she asks. 

Roy sighs and follows her to the kitchen, watching her pull out the takeout containers. "Eh...it's been a week. Lian had the flu, and this place felt like grand central station." 

Donna nods. "Lots of visitors?" 

"Yeah...it was kinda nice...I mean you know. Hal was drunk, and Dinah was bleeding, and Dick was sad and Wally was freaked and Jade was horny but other than that..." 

Donna laughs and hands him a plate full of food. "Well, all I want is to eat some dinner, watch a movie, and relax, how does that sound?" 

"Like heaven," Roy grins, taking the plate. "Lemme go get Lian, and we can pick that movie out." 

Donna watches him and grins as she hears Lian squeak and dash in to say hello.


End file.
